For example, there are many electronic devices including two units which are connected by a hinge member and capable of being freely opened and closed, such as a notebook computer (hereinafter, also referred to as a “note PC”) or a mobile phone.
The notebook computer includes a main unit having: a keyboard set on its top surface and an operational circuit internally having a central processing unit (CPU); and a display unit which has a display screen and is rotatably supported by the main unit via a hinge member so as to be freely opened and closed. In a notebook computer having such a structure, it is preferable that the main unit and the display unit can be individually assembled and integrated into a single apparatus in the final stage of assembling process. Also, for future maintenance, it is preferable that the main unit and the display unit can be separated from each other before they are completely disassembled.
The hinge member used in the notebook computer generally includes a movable section and a fixed section. The fixed section is fixed to the main unit at an end thereof and covered by a main unit casing, and the movable section is covered by a display unit casing. In this structure, the fixed section of the hinge member is made to appear by simply opening a part of the hinge member that covers the fixed section of the main unit, and the main unit and the display unit can be disassembled simply by separating the fixed section of the hinge member from the main unit. Similarly, when they are to be assembled, the main unit and the display unit may be separately assembled and then combined together in the final stage of the assembling process.
In this structure however, a portion of the main unit casing, which covers the fixed section of the hinge member, and a portion of the display unit casing, which covers the movable section of the hinge member may not suit with each other in view of design. For example, the portion of the display unit casing, which covers the movable section of the hinge member is rotatable relative to the main unit and thus is in the shape of a half cylinder, having a lower edge with a semicircular cross-section when the display unit is upright. On the other hand, an upper edge of the portion of the main unit casing, which covers the fixed section of the hinge member is also in the shape of a half cylinder. In this case, these portions covering the hinge member often do not suit with each other, as in a comparative example that will be described later.
Incidentally, structures for covering the hinge member separately by the main unit and the display unit are disclosed, for example, in Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 10-268976 and Japanese Laid-open Utility Model Publication No. 06-8620. However, they also fail to perfectly fit the portion of the main unit casing, which covers a part of the hinge member, to the portion of the display unit casing, which covers the remaining part of the hinge member.
Recently, as performance of notebook computers have been dramatically improved, people are more interested in appearance of the notebook computers and thus design of the cover of the hinge member is becoming important. Accordingly, how to achieve a structure having harmonized design while the main unit and the display unit can be easily assembled and disassembled is becoming a problem.
This problem is not limited to notebook computers, but it is a common problem for any types of electronic device employing a structure for readily assembling and disassembling two units freely opened and closed by a hinge member.